Hero to Zero: Disaster Deoxys
by lam1nat0r
Summary: After the events of Hero to Zero, Slate and Gem have finally gotten together. However, when a mysterious Pokemon assaults Gem, Slate finds himself wrapped in another twisted scheme for world domination, one that redefines his very beliefs. Mild romance.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, after probably a year of non-activity, I've decided to post up this, a story I wrote about... 2 years ago? This is the sequel to my first fanfiction, Hero to Zero, so if you want the background to this, then reading that story first is probably the best idea. This is probably my longest work, although not my best. It's relatively linear in its approach, so I feel it's not an excellent piece of work, but hey, it passes the time. Anyways, have fun reading this!_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon_

_

* * *

_Chapter 1

It was a warm day in the tropical Seafoam Islands, as two young men faced off in the makeshift battling ring on the beach. On one side was a teen who was commanding the large dinosaur-like Tropius. On the other side of the ring was the Forest Pokémon, Sceptile. Behind him stood his trainer, a relatively young man who seemed to just have entered his twenties.

"Are we ready?" the man asked with a hint of a smile lingering on his lips.

"Ready as we'll ever be! We won't lose easy, now will we Tropi?" came the reply. "Tropius!" the Fruit Pokémon called out. A young woman, about the same age as the young man, put both hands in the air. "If the trainers are ready, then let's begin!" She dropped her hands, and the battle began.

The Tropius immediately launched itself into the air, the air currents from its leaves whipping up the sand beneath it as it flew. Sceptile adapted a more defensive position, mentally tracking the large Pokémon as it winged about the field with its sharp eyes. Wings glowing, Tropius sent out a mass of bright green leaves that homed in on the Forest Pokémon. Not unduly worried, Sceptile opened its mouth as a ball of dark blue energy began to form. With a hiss, it launched a powerful Dragon Pulse attack that ripped straight through the Magical Leaf front and smashed into Tropius, knocking it out of flight.

Taking the advantage, Sceptile began to charge at the fallen Fruit Pokémon, the blades on its arms glowing ominously. The sand, however, slowed it down, causing it to stumble as it moved. That stumble gave the Tropius enough time to launch itself into the air once more as the deadly scythes cleaved the spot where it stood. Swinging back, Tropius's leaves began to glow as it executed its own Leaf Blade attack. Blade clashed on blade as Tropius tried to exert its height and weight advantage on the smaller nimbler Pokémon. The man could tell the strategy was working, as Sceptile's feet began to sink into the soft sand.

Not worried, he called for a quick Bullet Seed. While the glowing seeds did little damage to the Grass and Flying type, it served to drive the Pokémon back. Smiling, the man called out a simple command to his Sceptile: "X-Scissor!" Laughing wildly, the Forest Pokémon brought its glowing blades forward in an X pattern, blasting the already weakened Tropius back. Eyes glowing green, Sceptile focused for a second before calling on the powerful Leaf Storm attack. The maelstrom of leaves cut at Tropius, immediately knocking it out. Panting from the cost of the attack, Sceptile flashed a smile at the crowd, which erupted in cheers as the woman called an end to the match.

The two young men walked to the center of the ring as they shook hands. "Gee, I guess the title League Champion really means something, doesn't it?" asked the teen as he congratulated the older man on his victory. Laughing, the woman walked over and draped her arms over the man's shoulders. "Don't praise him too much now. He'll get a big head, and that's the last thing we want, isn't it, Slate?" she said mockingly. Pretending to take offense at the stinging remarks, the man known as Slate pointed his nose up into the air snobbishly. "I'm hurt by your words, Gem. How could you say something like that?" he whimpered. Then, the two broke into laughter at the look on the young teen's face.

"Don't worry about us. Just go back to training your Tropius. You've got potential, kid, mark my words. I want to see you in the League one of these days, do you hear me?" said Slate. The teen nodded and walked away. Grabbing his hand, Gem led the League Champion for a walk along the shore, chatting as they strolled through the surf.

It had been half a year since the events surrounding Hunt had occurred. The cities of Kanto had been for the most part repaired, and new settlements had cropped up throughout the area. The Seafoam Islands, previously ignored by developers, had now become a tropical resort which Gem and Slate were enjoying. After the final battle with Mewtwo, the two had expressed their feelings towards each other and were enjoying a prosperous relationship. Watching the childish look of pleasure on Gem's face as she danced elegantly through the surf, Slate flashed back to the day they admitted their feelings towards each other.

* * *

It was the day of the party being thrown in honor of Slate for defeating Hunt and restoring peace to the region. Slate was dressed in a suit emblazoned with the League emblem, a large green and orange Poké Ball outline on the back and a smaller one on the right lapel. He had just delivered a speech about the need for humans and Pokémon to be friends and was slightly tired. Speech delivering was never one of his strong suits. He preferred to be out in the field, only his Pokémon at his side, battling it out with the forces of nature. Sighing, he resigned himself to finding the buffet table, hoping that the excellent food would cheer him up. As he walked over to the food laden countertop, somebody walked up behind him, covering his eyes with their hands.

"Guess who?" a girl's voice giggled into his ear. Smirking slightly, Slate reached behind him, tripping the girl up and catching her in his arms.

"I should've known! The dastardly Gem has come to attack me! Whatever shall I do?" he mock lamented.

"You should watch out. I might just make you go up there and give another speech," Gem replied.

"I should never have brought you to the party," he said depressed.

"Aww, cheer up. It wasn't that bad. I thought you looked good up there," she said consolingly. Then, the band struck up a particularly slow song. Seeing the look of longing on her face, Slate asked, "Care to dance?" Radiating joy, Gem nodded giddily. They wrapped their arms around each other as they moved slowly to the music. Looking into her eyes, Slate said, "Gem, you know…" She nodded. "Yeah, I do, Slate." She moved closer to him, and he brought his arms around her in an embrace. They hadn't said anything, but they knew what the other meant.

"Hey, Slate! Look at that!" Slate was wrenched from his reminiscing as Gem pointed out a strange object. "I wonder what it is," he said to himself thoughtfully. The object floated in the air over the ocean, turning around slowly as if it was searching for something. It was a blood red color and had a gem situated in the center of its body, almost like a core. It had tentacles that extended from both sides of its body, the left two of which had morphed into a hand. Two spikes jutted from its torso like legs. As its sight passed over the couple on the shore, Slate and Gem couldn't help but feel as if sparks had just flown through their body.

"What is it?" Gem asked in awe. "I'm not sure, but I really don't want to find out," came the reply. "Yeah, you're right. Let's – " Gem's reply was cut short by her scream as the being flew in towards the two. Grabbing Gem by the waist forcefully, Slate threw her unceremoniously into the sand behind them as he jumped back from the being. Colliding with the sand, the object threw up a large cloud of dust. Running over to the woman, Slate pulled Gem upright. "Are you OK?" he asked.

"I'd be fine if you hadn't thrown me!" Gem replied, furious. Same old Gem, Slate thought to himself smiling. The two got up and began to run from the mystery being, but the sand made running hard going. With a blast, the being lifted itself from the sand, and after a slight pause, zipped to intercept the two. Seeing their way blocked, Gem and Slate ran in another direction, but were cut off again. Looking about, they saw the mystery being had replicated itself and had cut off all avenues of escape.

"Who are you?" screamed Gem, panicked. Slate was a bit more calm, and racked his mind. "Where have I seen this… thing?" he thought to himself. The many beings merged once more into one being as it neared the two. A voice rang out through the beach as its eyes began to glow blue. It was definitely a human voice, and it echoed mysteriously around the beach as the being channeled the voice.

"Who I am does not matter. Your world will soon be vanquished, and I will be at the head of the new order. But every king needs a queen to grace his hand. Young Gem, I have chosen you…"

"Never!" screamed the girl in return. "My heart belongs to one man, and one man only, and he's standing next to me!"

"Then so be it…" With those mysterious final words, the being's eyes stopped glowing. The voice disappeared. Unsure of what to do next, Slate gripped Gem's hand harder. Then, the storm broke loose. Morphing, the being's tentacles grew sharper, and its body skinnier. Three horns, which sat on top of its head, grew sharper and more menacing. "What the hell?" Slate breathed as the beast stretched and let out a low electric roar. It immediately charged towards the two once more. Grabbing Gem, Slate ran for all he was worth. He was scared, there was no doubt behind it. The beast wanted Gem, and it wouldn't stop until it got her.

"Where have I heard of something like this? Changing forms?" Then, the facts clicked, but a moment too late. Slate was suddenly jerked to a stop as Gem was gripped with a blue energy. Kicking and screaming, she was dragged towards the monster's core. "No! Gem!" Grabbing a Poké Ball from the satchel at his waist, he tossed it towards the beast. "Silver! Take that thing out!" The Ball snapped open in a blaze of light to reveal a silver crab-like Pokémon.

"MeteorMash!" Slate called as the Metagross wound its glowing claw back. Flying towards the beast, it shot its claw forward aiming towards the core, hoping to crush it. It was not to be. Gripped by the same energy that held Gem captive, Silver was launched back at Slate. Throwing caution to the winds, Slate got on top of Silver as the two charged in once more for another strike. This time, the both of them were caught up in the psychic energy as they were pinned remorselessly to the ground.

"Gem!" Slate shouted past the pain coursing through his torso. "Slate!" Gem screamed as she was dragged back. The beast began forming a void which whooshed with an electric quality. The beast descended into the void and dragged Gem with it. "NO!" screamed Slate as he felt the hold around his body loosen. The void closed up as he staggered towards it. "No…" He fell to his knees in despair as Silver came up to its trainer to comfort it. "Deoxys…" Slate growled out between his tears. "When I find out who's controlling you, I'll make sure the two of you pay!" He screamed once more to an unfeeling sky.

* * *

"Where am I?" a groggy Gem asked as she got up slowly. She was in a lavish bedroom, clad in a strange outfit. It was made out of a weird black material. "What's this?" she asked herself. Looking about the room, she found her Poké Balls with her Pokémon safely inside. "Why am I here?" she wondered out loud. "You are the chosen one… To be my queen and bring me heirs…" the low voice from before hissed from behind her. Gem wheeled around and screamed as a large man approached her.

* * *

_Was that acceptable? Hopefully you all liked it! Drop a review, since those help for future stories (this story's already complete)._


	2. Chapter 2

_And so continues the sequel to Hero to Zero. This was my first story ever to implement romance as an aspect of the story, so it'll be a bit shaky at times. Regardless, here's chapter 2!_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon_

_

* * *

_Chapter 2

The large man closed the distance between the two in a matter of seconds, forcing her chin up with his large hand. "You are a pretty one, aren't you?" he whispered. Terrified, Gem began to grope blindly for a Poké Ball. Finding one immediately within her reach, she kicked away the large man and tossed the Ball at him. Opening in a flash of light and a burst of hearts, a small Pokémon popped out. "No…" Gem whispered, seeing the capsule effect.

A small Pichu flashed a winning smile towards the large man, unaware of the predicament its trainer was in. The Pichu was a gift from Slate, along with a small pendant. It wasn't much, but she loved both gifts to death and was never found without either. She subconsciously grabbed at the pendant that hung from a fine chain around her neck. Pichu toddled over to her trainer, hoping for a hug. Picking up the small Electric Mouse, Gem backed into a corner timidly. The man looked on in amusement. "This is your idea of a strong Pokémon? A small little mouse?" Gritting her teeth and swallowing her fear, she grabbed another Ball.

"Think again!" she screamed as she called out her next Pokémon. From the ball emerged her majestic Flygon. The Mystic Pokémon could sense its trainer's fear, and immediately moved into a defensive stance, standing between the evil man and Gem.

Shaking his head in mock disappointment, he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the air in the room became thick and congesting as it warped about into a portal. From the portal emerged the DNA Pokémon, Deoxys. She immediately recognized it as the Pokémon that had kidnapped her and her Pokémon. "Flygon! Use Crunch!" she screamed. Taking a second, Deoxys morphed into its defense form, blocking the attack and sending the Mystic dragon flying back and into a wall. Running over to the fallen Dragon's side, Gem tried to shake the Flygon awake. Slowly but surely, it rose, ready to battle for her trainer's life. Smiling again, the man called out a simple command: "Psychic…"

The attack instantly ripped through Trainer and Pokémon and knocked out Flygon. Shielding Pichu with her own body, Gem made sure that it took little to no damage. The shock was too much, though, and the small baby broke out into tears. Annoyed with the crying, the man nodded towards the DNA Pokémon. Pichu was ripped from her trainer's arms and thrown into the floor, instantly fainting from the impact. Gem screamed and quickly ran to her fallen Pokémon's side, grasping both in a tight embrace and calling them back. She dropped to her knees in complete despair, only to be forced to her feet again by the large man, who had grabbed her arm in a tight vice-like grip. "You will do as I say," the man ground out, emphasizing the will. He tossed her to the ground violently before storming out of the room. Sobbing, Gem hugged her bruised arm to herself.

* * *

Slate was absolutely enraged. Having lost Gem, he immediately ran to the local Pokémon League hub. Since the events of Hunt and his reign of terror, the League had taken steps to make sure the people of Kanto and other regions such as Hoenn and Orre were safe. As a result, a League building was built in every city, where people could come and go with their troubles. These hubs were meant to be an enforcement of police activities, and quite often the League officers found themselves working hand in hand with police officers in what was a very strong partnership. After handing in his report to the kind people at the security department, Slate was ushered into the meeting room on the Seafoam Islands. With him were a group of security chiefs. They sat calmly waiting for the League Chairman to show up, although Slate was grinding his teeth dangerously. Finally, the old man rushed into the room, sitting at the head of the table next to Slate.

"I'm sorry I'm so late, but there were some… affairs I had to deal with that relate with our current crisis. Now Slate, I want you to slowly tell me what happened," the Chairman stated.

"It went like this, sir," Slate began. He launched into the narrative of Gem's kidnapping, from the strange feeling of being scanned to the strange voice that had been channeled through the Deoxys.

"Yes, I see," the older man mused. "Well, this clears much up," he finally said after much chin stroking.

"Clears what up?" a security chief asked.

"Yes, Mr. Helm?" asked another, addressing the Chairman by his last name.

"Today, after the alleged kidnapping of Gem, I received a transmission from an unknown source. Perhaps I should play it," said Helm, the Chairman. A screen descended from the ceiling, and a window popped up, playing a short video. At first, all that could be seen was static, but it gave a foreboding tone. Then, the static cleared away to show a small crumpled figure on a bed. She was dressed in a strange black outfit, and a fine chain around her neck was thrown recklessly onto the covers, the small pendant glinting in the light. A large man in the shadows began to speak with the same voice Slate heard at the beach.

"This young lady… This exquisite beauty… She shall grace my kingdom of perfection… Hear me now, Helm, you and your pathetic League shall fall beneath the heel of my organization. We will crush you, and then kill all that you and the League stand for. Then, we will create our kingdom… Our kingdom of perfection… And she shall bear my heirs… Hear me! Aurum has spoken!" The transmission terminated at that point. Slate was shaking in anger.

"Now, the video quality was not high enough for us to determine for sure whether or not that girl was indeed Gem, but chances are it was. But that's not the point. One of our people has been stolen from us, and by a madman as well. If what this man says is true, he will stop at nothing to establish this so called 'perfect' world, no doubt one that he rules supreme over. We cannot allow this madman to hurt the people of the world. We must stop him and rescue Gem. Am I understood?" Helm stated. The chiefs of security all roared affirmatives. Slate, on the other hand, was too stricken with shock to speak.

"That was Gem," he whispered.

"Excuse me?" asked Helm.

"That was Gem. I gave her that necklace…" came the soft reply.

"Oh… Well then, Slate, would you like to head the team that will infiltrate and destroy this organization?" asked Helm.

Nodding yes, Slate rose slowly. "Hear me now, Aurum, I will get you. And if one hair on Gem's head is out of place, you will pay dearly. This I vow and this will happen." At that, he rushed out of the room.

On the way, he bumped into a tall lean man. "Sorry," he said, looking down all the while. "Now, I wouldn't have thought the great Slate would be so down in the dumps now. What's up?" asked a familiar voice. Looking up, Slate saw that the man he bumped into was none other than his good friend Chrighton.

"Sorry, I'm just a little in shock right now," Slate said.

"I can see that. Where's your girlfriend Gem?" came the jovial reply. Slate hung his head in defeat as he heard the question. "We need to talk," he said, before leading them to a park nearby. There, he related the story of Gem's capture.

"That jerk… He's every bit as bad as Hunt was…" growled Chrighton after hearing the story in its full length. Slate did not reply to the indignant man, but rather stared out at the shore. It was on this shore that he had last seen Gem in person, and it was on this shore that he failed to protect her. Saddened, he began to slam his fist into his palm relentlessly. "Whoa, hey. Cool it! I'm here to help!" Chrighton called out after seeing the gesture of hopelessness.

"What can we do? We don't even know where Gem is! She could be in trouble right now! That Aurum guy could be harassing her as we speak!"

"The first thing to do is to calm down. Now, we don't know anything. We need to find some clues. You said that the Deoxys' warps sounded very static laden, correct?" Slate nodded.

"Well then, all we need to do is to search for any electric field abnormalities, don't we?" Slate looked up, suddenly inspired. He began to jog towards the League building without a word. "Hey man, even if you know where she is, you might not be able to do anything. You need to train up first. Then, you can rescue her." Slate saw the wisdom in his friend's words, but did not know where to go. After relating this to his friend, he sat down to think carefully.

"We could have a practice battle right now, if you want," said Chrighton, slyly. Hearing the word battle piqued Slate's interest, and he shouted out an affirmative, the first thing he said in nearly ten minutes. Laughing, Chrighton ran towards the field. "Race you!" "You're on!"

At the battlefield, Slate and Chrighton stood at opposite sides of the ring. "Let's make this a one on one battle, huh?" shouted the Champion. Nodding, Chrighton immediately sent out his Aggron. Roaring, Aggron immediately faced off against Slate. Smiling, Slate called out his Sceptile. "Well well well, if it isn't a repeat of our first battle?" noted Chrighton.

"Yes, but the result won't be the same. I'm going to win!" called out Slate to his old friend. "Let's go!"

Immediately, Aggron began charging forwards in an attempt to use Metal Claw, but its heavy weight caused it to sink immediately into the sand. Snickering, Slate called for Sceptile to launch a Bullet Seed attack. The seeds viciously bounced off Aggron's armor as it tried to free itself from the sandy prison. Not one to let enemies off free, Sceptile immediately began to collect sunlight for the powerful Solarbeam attack. Seeing that physical attacks weren't going to be of much use, Aggron decided to switch its priorities. Opening up its mouth, it belched out a stream of fire towards the Grass type, who was still charging up for Solarbeam. Taking the hit directly, Sceptile began to lose its focus and launched the then halfway charged Solarbeam towards the giant Armor Pokémon. Solarbeam clashed upon Flamethrower as the two Pokémon began to fight for supremacy over power. Fire won out though, as the weak beam of light was not enough to overcome the licking flames.

Having finally broken free from the loose sand, Aggron began to come in once more, this time for a Focus Punch. Fighting off the effects of the flames, Sceptile did not see the attack coming, and was smashed into the soft sand, plowing up a furrow as it flew. Getting up, Sceptile and Slate gritted their teeth at how powerful Chrighton and Aggron had become. Before they could react, Aggron let loose a powerful Sandstorm attack. From all around the beach, sand began to fly about, creating havoc on the battlefield. Sceptile struggled to stand upright, but was eventually forced to its knees by the ever shifting sands beneath its feet. Aggron slid in, carried by the current of sand caused by Sandstorm, and launched a devastating Mega Kick, sending Sceptile reeling. Struggling to get up, Sceptile faced down the powerful opponent with a grimace. "What can I do?" Slate wondered to himself as the sands about him tore at his skin.

* * *

Gem rose from the floor. She had collapsed from all the crying she had done in the last few hours, but was ready to find a way to escape. Calling out her Starmie, she asked it to keep watch as she searched the room for alternate entrances. After looking thoroughly throughout the chamber, she found nothing that could serve as a secret passageway. However, she did find a wardrobe full of the strange clothes she now wore. While they were foreign to her, they were still comfortable, and she settled in the bed. She called her Starmie back, wondering where Slate was, and what it was he could do to save her. Then, a short man walked into her room without warning. "Dinner. You will come," he said. "What if I refuse?" she asked. "You will not. The boss has ordered you to eat. You shall eat." Seeing no alternative, she got up and followed the man out into the corridor.

* * *

_What's going to happen in the battle? If you've noticed, this story was written from two perspectives: Slate's and Gem's. The formatting might be a bit off, since I'm not sure how big a chunk of text people are willing to read. Drop a review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_We left off last time with Gem being forced to eat with Aurum and Slate wrapped in a battle. It's time to find out what happens._

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon_

* * *

Chapter 3

Quietly following the small man through the hallways of whatever it was that was holding her captive, Gem couldn't help but hear a low hum as the floor appeared to rise and fall ever so slightly. She looked about, but couldn't see any windows for her to gather information on her locale. Her curiosity caused her to dawdle, and soon she was forced to run to keep up with the shorter servant. "How can one guy so short walk so fast?" she pondered as she moved. Finally, they ended up in an enormous dining room, complete with a gigantic dining table and candlesticks.

"I see you've arrived," Aurum said silkily. "Yes, I have," Gem replied testily. Motioning her to sit, Aurum took a seat at the head of the table. Timidly, Gem took a seat next to him. With a flick of his wrist, a veritable army of servants, all with sturdy builds, brought in the makings of a feast. "Please, eat," requested the large man. Gem hadn't eaten in a day, and was very hungry. Without giving any further thought to her predicament, she began to tear into the dishes seated in front of her. As she ate, Aurum began to relate his tale. "Ah, where shall I begin?" he started. She looked up, curiosity piqued.

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Struggling to see through the sandstorm, Slate and Sceptile tried to find their opponent. Then, they heard a roar as Aggron burst through the sand coming in for a strong surprise Dig attack. Sceptile barely leapt out of the way in time and quickly launched a Leech Seed attack, hoping to mitigate the damage being done by Sandstorm. The seed embedded itself into a joint in Aggron's armor, instantly sapping away at its energy and returning it to Sceptile. Now that the field was evened on a greater extent, Slate decided to work on a different strategy. Knowing that Sandstorm could only stay in effect as long as another weather condition was not striking the field, he decided to tip the scales in his favor. Nodding to the Forest Pokémon, he relied on their synergy as Pokémon and trainer to win the battle. Jumping into the air, Sceptile called on an inner strength to let loose a powerful blast of light that soared up into the skies. Instantaneously, the sun began beating down harder on the beach area of the tropical island. Wiping away sweat mixed with dust, Slate was glad to see that the Sandstorm had subsided. The time for action was now.

Since the sand had been loosened, attempting to come in for a direct attack would be foolish and cost several precious seconds. While Leech Seed was still in effect, Sceptile was still panting. The battle and Sandstorm had exhausted it, and it could not last much longer without recovering from the damage it took. Luckily, it had just the attack. Closing its eyes, Sceptile began to focus its energy into the seeds on its back, which began glowing. Seeing that Sceptile was collecting light, Chrighton and Aggron assumed it was going to execute the deadly Solarbeam, and so called for a Protect attack. The green barrier formed around the Armor Pokémon, light glinting off it as it pulsed.

To their great surprise, instead of blasting a beam of pure light at the opponent, Sceptile began to glow a bright yellow all over as it restored its energy using the potent Synthesis attack. Brimming with power, Sceptile began to attack from afar, launching random bouts of Bullet Seed while the larger Aggron tried to cover itself. The seeds bounced off with little effect, however, and Sceptile could see that trying to attack with a physical type attack would be pointless. It opted for a secondary strike. Calling on the power of nature stored within its seeds, Sceptile summoned up a flurry of rainbow colored leaves. It shot the color shifting leaves in an arc that completely missed Aggron.

Confused, the giant behemoth decided to pull off a Focus Punch, but couldn't gather the focus through the continuous sapping of Leech Seed. For some reason, though, Sceptile smirked. Aggron was about to find out why. The leaves Sceptile launched earlier were part of a Magical Leaf attack, and as a result, never missed. Having shot them way off to the side, the leaves arc about and struck Aggron in the back. That moment defined the battle. Taking full advantage of Sunny Day, Sceptile immediately charged up its Solarbeam, launching it full force into Aggron. The Armor Pokémon's face was a mask of disbelief as it fell slowly in defeat.

An hour later, the two companions found themselves in the Pokémon Center, giving their Pokémon to the resident Nurse Joy to take care of. They took a quick shower and gathered up their Pokémon before heading back to the League hub. Still jostling Chrighton over his loss, Slate didn't watch where he was walking, and stepped straight into Helm. "Slate, we must talk. Chrighton, you come with us." Without a word, the three stepped into the meeting room. Once everybody was seated, Helm began to brief the members of the League in their mission.

"We've gathered some more intelligence on the whereabouts of this Aurum person. He's a relatively low profile man, but is known to have many many connections in the underground world. Word has it that it was Aurum who funded Hunt's attempt to take over the world using the amplification machine. Nonetheless, we were still able to ultimately determine his location. It would appear that he lives on an enormous aircraft off the Fuchsia City coastline. It's a state of the art craft, running on nothing but solar energy and somehow hydrogen fuel cells. This craft is protected by a powerful shield that is going to be hard to break. Evidently, this shield has been linked to three guardian Pokémon thanks to his Deoxys. However, the identity and strength of these Pokémon are currently unknown. It's up to us to find these Pokémon and defeat them. According to our research, if the link between the Pokémon and the machine is broken, the shields will either weaken or completely disappear."

A relative silence fell over the crowd assembled at the large meeting table as the information sunk in. Then, Slate spoke. "Sir, I believe I know how to deal with this." Helm motioned at Slate to continue.

"Sir, as you will recall, Hunt's plan essentially linked a Pokémon up with the amplification machine. However, to break this link, we had to knock out the Pokémon. If the rumors are true that Hunt was indeed funded by Aurum, it stands to reason Aurum assisted Hunt in the creation of that machine. Thus, the basic principle of linking to Pokémon must have been orchestrated by Aurum himself, who must have figured out a way to create this link. However, he had to have realized that a stronger link could have been forged by Deoxys' abilities. My plan is to knock out these so called guardians. This should destroy the shields, and by relation, reveal the weak spots in the aircraft, allowing us to lead a full scale invasion and end any attempts on his part to take over the world."

All around the table, people nodded heads, agreeing with the Champion's idea. "Remember how much trouble Hunt caused when he tried to destroy the world using Mewtwo? We can't allow the same thing to happen," Slate expounded. Looking thoughtful, Helm nodded his affirmation for the plan. "Then it's settled. We defeat these sentinels and attack his craft!" While everybody nodded, Chrighton had something to say. "This is a strong plan, I must agree with that. But we still don't know what these Pokémon are or where they are. How are we going to defeat the unknown?" he asked. Slate's response was simple. "We go to the source: Hunt."

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Walking through the corridors of the Cerulean City Maximum Security Jail, Slate and Chrighton looked on appalled at the state of affairs within each jail cell. Inmates fought each other, oftentimes to the point of a crippling injury. There was a complete lack of morals. Others were being assaulted in ways that were unimaginable unless one saw it through their own eyes. On the way to solitary where they were to meet Hunt, the Champion and his companion began to formulate a plan to crack the supervillain. Finally, they reached the solitary cell. Walking into it, they noticed a man huddled in a corner. He was wearing a tattered white jail uniform, marked with countless grease and bloodstains. The room itself was beyond description. A lone naked lightbulb swung about from the ceiling, no doubt due to the mad antics of the occupant. The walls were covered in dirt, and the paint was peeling in patches. It was a windowless room, so the atmosphere was dank and dismal. The ground was damp with moisture, and fungus grew in patches from the wet dust. A faint smell of excrement met Slate and Chrighton's noses.

"Hunt, it's nice to see you again," Slate remarked sarcastically. "The Champion has come? What a surprise…" came the rasping reply. Slowly, Hunt rose from his crouching position on the ground. As he rose, the two stifled groans at the sight that beheld them. Hunt's hair was matted and caked with grease and dirt which had mixed together to create a gritty mixture. His face was streaked with dirt, and an eerie smiled danced on his lips. His eyes were that of a madman, streaked with red, ringed by tattered eyelids and dark circles from lack of sleep. His nose appeared broken in many different locations, and hair grew from it in bursts. His teeth, yellowing and decaying, gave off a terrible smell as Hunt breathed in and out. He was skinny, there was no doubt about it, but as he rose, it was apparent he had just shifted his bowels but had apparently forgotten to take his pants off while removing his waste. "Ugh, have some decency," Chrighton couldn't help but let slip.

"Decency? How can I be decent when I'm stuck in this hellhole? There's barely any food and drink. There's no toilet! All I have for company is myself. I've been in here so long I've completely forgotten what sunlight looks like. You hear me? I haven't heard a human voice in ages! All because of you!" the former crook screamed. As he ranted madly, he waved his arms about. One hand was perfectly normal, albeit extremely dirty. The other was mangled, however. Fingers stuck out at disturbingly bizarre angles and skin and flesh hung off the bones as if dead. His hand gave off the terrible aroma of rotting cadavers, no doubt a souvenir from when the remote had exploded in his hand that fateful day.

"Shut up!" roared Slate, weary from the ranting and worrying about Gem. "We're here because we want to find out about Aurum." A look of feigned ignorance crossed Hunt's face as he said, "I don't know of this Aura that you're speaking of." "Yes, you do. He was the one who gave you the money and ideas for that machine of yours, wasn't he?" Chrighton ground out between clenched teeth. "So what if he did? I'm not going to tell you anything," replied the filthy inmate.

"Listen, that man will take over this world if you don't tell us anything. Tell us where the three sentinels stand, or you're really going to feel my rage as I let loose on you," Slate warned. "You'll never find the three sentinels," laughed Hunt. "They're too powerful nonetheless. Even if I told you of the three legendary golems, you wouldn't know what to do. ARGH!"

Hunt cried out in pain as Slate pinned him to the wall. Resisting the urge to vomit as the revolting smell of the vile man entered his nostrils and stained his hands, Slate rammed the villain repeatedly into the wall as he roared out his words. "That man is crazy! Do you honestly think he'll give a damn if you're stuck here rotting in this prison? No! Hear me now! Tell me what and where these damn golems are, or you're really going to get it!" Hunt merely laughed at the outburst, his breath and spit spilling out onto the Champion's face as he did so. Reeling from the stench, Slate stepped back, wiping his hands on his clothes as he did so. "I'm going to need a shower and a new set of clothes when I get back… I'll burn these…" he muttered under his breath.

"You would never defeat the legendary golems, even if I told you where they were. But I'm a nice man, and I'll tell you where they are. The three sentinels that you're searching for are the three guardians of the Hoenn trinity: Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza. They were once worshipped and revered by the people of old, but were sealed away when the people began to fear these Pokémon," related Hunt. Racking his mind, Slate struggled to remember where he had heard this mantra once before.

"Regirock, Regice, and Registeel…" he breathed. Nodding, Hunt commended the Champion on his astuteness.

"Smart, are we? Now, let's see if you can find them. One resides in our first battleground. Can you remember it? The second lives in the final stretch for those who wish to challenge those who guard the path to everlasting memory. The final lives within the sea currents of the underground caves. Now find them," Hunt said. With those final words, he spoke no more, proceeding to huddle back in his old corner. Sensing they could get no more from the villain, the two left the room.

"Our first battleground… That was the Power Plant, was it not?" asked Slate. Chrighton gestured an affirmative, preferring not to speak until they exited the building and the stench was not so bad.

"The final stretch to everlasting memory? What is that? Sea currents of underground caves? Huh?" Slate was thoroughly confused. Chrighton, however, was suddenly struck by inspiration.

"Sea currents, that's it! Where are sea currents? In the sea! Now where do we know of some caves in the middle of the ocean?" he asked excitedly. "The Seafoam Islands!" they shouted together.

"Of course! Everlasting memory! When I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, they said they were recording my name for posterity! The Elite Four guard the Hall of Fame, and the final stretch to the Elite Four was Victory Road!" Slate nearly shouted. Glancing at each other, the two broke out into open laughter as they walked to the helicopter that would take them back to the Seafoam Islands and the first of the Regis. Slate was about to high-five Chrighton when Chrighton pulled back. "I'm not touching you until you take a shower, man."

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"It was a long time ago," Aurum slowly started to say. Gem halted her assault on the foodstuffs gathered on the table to listen to the story. "I was a young man of 20. The world was mine. I had recently won the League tournament, and my Pokémon and I were unstoppable. We crushed opponent after opponent. But more importantly, I had the help of her." Gem looked surprised at the look that had crossed Aurum's face as he said this. Was it one of sadness, anger, or loss? Or was it all three mixed into one? She shook it from her mind as she turned to listen again.

"The two of us were unstoppable. She was a fanciful girl, given to the frills of higher living. She always wore that beautiful necklace, as you do yours. I remember seeing the sunlight glinting off that necklace on that fateful day." Completely engrossed in the story, Gem was slightly disappointed when the large man stopped to sigh. "What happened?" she asked, a tad impatient. "Patience, pretty one. You will hear this story. Now where did I leave off? Ah yes, that fateful day. That day she was taken from me. That day, a man came up to the two of us and challenged her to a battle. She was a powerful contender, but not strong enough to defeat that man. His name was Helm. He destroyed her Pokémon, and proceeded to rub it in her face. He proceeded to defeat me thoroughly. Not only that, but he also claimed that she was cheating on him with me. Unable to take the stress of such unjust accusations, she took her life with some sleeping pills. I remember holding her body to myself, crying as the warmth ebbed from her dying body." The large man was shaking in fury as he related the story. Gem, however, was shocked over the sudden revelation.

"That Helm man… It can't be…"

"It is indeed the League Chairman," came the reply. Gem fell back into her chair in surprise, too shocked to eat. "It would appear dinner is over now. Return to your room. I have no more use for you," he sighed. The short man appeared to escort her to the chamber. Getting up dumbly, she walked behind the man. "It can't be him," she thought to herself. "It can't be."

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_Yay for character development! (I think) Drop a review!_


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